Lastminute.com has handed its UK consumer PR work to GolinHarris after a pitch in a bid to feed off topical stories and emphasise "the roots of the business".

77PR, which had handled the full brief for three years and is understood to have declined to repitch, will continue to look after social media.

Lastminute.com senior PR manager Caroline Wade pointed to the need for media engagement to reflect both what she called the brand's "iconic" status in Britain and its emphasis on speed and responsiveness.

"We need to be more proactive and GolinHarris' ideas around real-time marketing will help us tap into the news agenda. We need to be quick and snappy in what we do."

GolinHarris will focus on communicating what Wade called a "single-minded message".

"It’s an increased focus on the roots of the business," she said. "Modern technology such as the use of mobile in driving last-minute bookings makes us more relevant than ever."

Wade declined to comment on claims from sources that 77PR’s budget had "reduced significantly" since its appointment.

Lastminute.com is owned by Travelocity, which in August agreed a long-term strategic marketing deal in which Expedia would handle most of its operations.